Book Review: Jamie Loves Her Natural Hair

Being a mom has simultaneously been my greatest accomplishment and toughest job in life so far. When my husband and I found out we were expecting a little girl I knew I had to be the best role model for her while building her self-esteem from an early age. Growing up there were few positive images of girls that looked like me in the media, and we all know how impressionable young ones can be. My goal was to expose her to tv shows, books, clothing designs, etc. that represent little natural haired brown girls like herself.

I soon discovered that representation truly matters because anytime my daughter sees an image of a little girl with natural hair she says, “She looks like me!”. So when Ariane Roberts contacted me to review her book Jamie Loves Her Natural Hair, I was beyond ecstatic because I knew automatically my kid was going to love it. We read the book numerous times this week before bed and her enthusiasm for the story and the relatable imagery hasn’t wavered. Her favorite part of the book is the section with the little girl wearing beads since she currently has beads in her hair.

As a parent and elementary school teacher, I think this book is an amazing asset by teaching kids how to love and accept themselves. There are various natural hairstyles mentioned by the main character, Jamie, throughout the book, so every little girl who reads it will see a small part of themselves in the story. The narrative is very uplifting, the illustrations are beautiful and unique, and the message shines a positive light on natural hair. So if you’re in the market for an empowering book for your little princess, I highly recommend giving Jamie Loves Her Natural Hair a try!